


What Might Have Been

by justasmalltownchair



Category: Supernatural
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-27
Updated: 2013-06-10
Packaged: 2017-12-13 02:43:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 7,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/819027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justasmalltownchair/pseuds/justasmalltownchair
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Castiel has fallen and is now a hunter. He admits his love for Dean and things couldn't be better. Everything is finally perfect - or so it seems.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic with chapters. Constructive criticism is appreciated.  
> If you have enjoyed this fanfic, please leave kudos or a comment. It will inspire me to continue writing.  
> Enjoy!

“Cas, wake up.”

Castiel rolled over and tried to ignore Dean’s voice.

“Ca-as. Wake up!” Dean started tickling his stomach, causing him to laugh loudly.

“What do you want, Dean? It’s eight thirty in the morning. Let me sleep. I’ve only recently gained the ability to sleep. I enjoy it vastly.” 

He rolled over and attempted to shut his eyes and resume sleeping but it was to no avail. Dean started tickling the bottom of his feet, and that was the final straw. Cas abruptly sat up, and glared blearily at his friend. Although the slightest physical contact with Dean made him beyond happy, he was not about to let it show.

“What matter is so important that you must disturb me from my heavenly sleep? And I do not use the term heavenly lightly, Dean. Remember, I was an angel of the lord once.”

“We have tickets to see the Yankees play the Red Sox tomorrow night, and we have to get to New York City in time for the game. Since we’re about a day away I figured we should leave by ten, drive the whole day, and crash at a hotel for the night. It’s gonna be fun. Ever heard of fun, Cas?”

“Yes, I have. I don’t have time for fun. I have time for sleep. And for hunting things. We also have to figure out how to kill Metatron and bring all the angels back to heaven.”

“We will, Cas, we will. But today, we’re gonna have some us time. The angels can wait for one day.”

Dean popped a Bon Jovi tape into the Impala’s stereo and started singing along. Sam had called shotgun, so Cas was sitting in the back seat, fully belted in. He was taking no chances, what with his not being an angel anymore and all. Human lives were so fragile.

“If I were still an angel, we could have been there in less than a second,” he remarked.

“Cas, you’ve never complained before. I guess you’re really turning into one of us.” Sam said.

“I’m not complaining.” Cas said, taken aback. “I’m just stating a fact.”

After a full day of driving, they checked into a hotel. The next day, they got to the stadium early. When they were finally allowed inside, they went to their seats. Dean bought Cas a foam finger and he and Sam laughed at Cas’ attempts to eat a hot dog without getting ketchup all over his shirt. The Yankees won and the crowd went wild. Cas attempted to cheer, but did not succeed, while Dean cupped his hands around his mouth and screamed until he was hoarse. Sam stood by Cas’ side bemusedly. Unlike his brother, he didn’t care much for baseball.

The boys went out for pizza after the game. They ordered a pie and some fries and dug in.

“Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about. There’s a reason this city is famous for its pizza. This stuff is fucking delicious!” Dean shoveled slice after slice into his mouth. Sam had ordered a chicken caesar salad and dug in. Cas was slowly but surely making his way through his half of the pie.

“This is almost as good as a burger!” he exclaimed.

For dessert, Dean ordered apple pie and shared it with Sam and Cas.

When they finished eating, it was almost eleven at night. The boys found a motel and checked in. They rented two rooms - one for Sam and Dean, the other for Cas. At almost two in the morning, Cas heard a knocking at his door. He opened it a crack to find Dean in nothing but boxers and an undershirt. He allowed Dean entry into his room and sat down on his bed.

“Why are you in my room at two in the morning?” he asked.

“I couldn’t sleep,” answered Dean

“Neither could I,” said Cas.

At three thirty, they had been talking about random things for over an hour. How Cas was adjusting to being human, how they planned to fix the angel problem, how much they all missed Bobby. Cas’ hand brushed against Dean’s, and he didn’t want it to stop. He decided to just tell the hunter how he felt. How he wanted to touch him every time he looked at him. How even when he was an angel, Dean had a place in his heart. How the moment he laid his hand upon him in hell, he had never wanted to let go. Before, it had been for Dean’s own safety that Castiel had attempted to hide his feelings. Although he didn’t do a very good job. But now, now that he was no longer an angel, now that he was just a regular, ordinary human, now he could tell Dean how he felt. Now he could finally know what those pink lips tasted like.

“Dean, I need to confess something.”

Dean looked up from the thread he had been playing with on his shirt. “What?”

Cas cleared his throat nervously. He was nervous. This was a new development. He had never experienced nervousness as an angel.

“I, uhhh, well. I think I like you.” There, he said it.

“I know you like me, Cas. I like you too. You’re my friend. Why wouldn’t I?”

Oh god, this was even worse than he’d imagined.

“Well, the thing is. I don’t like you the same way I like Sam. I like you more. I like you differently. When Metatron removed my grace, he told me to find a wife. But all I could think of was you. I don’t want to find myself a wife. I’ve already found the person I want to spend the remainder of my life with. I gripped that person tight and raised him from perdition. And now he’s sitting on my bed and all I want is to know how his hair feels when I run my fingers through it.”

Before Cas could blush from embarrassment - a new human trait he had acquired - Dean pulled him closer and kissed him.

 


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Sam barged into Cas’ room without knocking.

“Have you seen Dean?” he asked, frantically.

Cas wasn’t sure how he should respond. He had done way more than just see Dean. He thought back to what had happened the previous night. How his and Dean’s mouths had connected so perfectly. How running his fingers over the hunter’s body had felt so natural, and so right. How their legs had intermingled as Dean positioned himself on top of Cas as they kissed.

Fortunately, Dean walked out of Cas’ bathroom at that exact moment, sparing Cas from figuring out how to answer the question.

“Sammy! Gooood morning! Isn’t it a good morning Cas?”

Cas looked from Dean to Sam and back again.

“Yes. The weather is quite nice today.”

Sam was looking at Dean with a knowing grin on his face.

“You guys finally get together or what?” He had to jump to the left to avoid the towel that Dean threw at him.

“I don’t know what you’re implying here, little brother. Cas and I are just friends.”

Hearing that, Castiel was devastated. He walked out of the room abruptly and went to Sam’s room, across the hall. He locked himself in the bathroom and sat down on the covered toilet. Tears sprung into his eyes as the words ‘just friends’ bounced around his skull, again and again. He was surprised by the tears. They apparently came along with his newfound humanity. As did the ache he felt in his chest. He finally had the chance to be with Dean and now Dean thought they were ‘just friends’? Since when did friends kiss each other? Since when did friends give each other rock hard erections that could be felt through two pairs of jeans? As the tears started coming faster, Cas heard a banging on the bathroom door.

“Damn it, Cas. Open the door. I need to talk to you.”

Cas dutifully opened the door after wiping away his tears. He didn’t want Dean to know how very weak and human he had become.

“I didn’t mean what I said to Sam. We are not just friends. I mean, at least, I don’t want us to be. I’m shit at feelings, and I know that. I’m sorry.”

Cas looked up, into Dean’s impossibly green eyes.

“Then why did you lie to Sam? He’s your brother.”

“I - I don’t know. I guess I don’t want word getting out. People treat you differently if you’re ya know... gay.” Dean said.  
“Why would it matter if someone was happy? What does that have anything to do with what we are discussing? Human colloquials confuse me to no end.”

Cas tilted his head to the side. He was utterly and sincerely confused. Why was Dean laughing at him?

“Listen, Cas. People don’t like it when two guys love each other. They call it being gay. Although if you think about it, I guess gay people really are gay. Huh.” Dean chuckled.

“Anyways, what I’m trying to say is that I don’t wanna cause problems for us if there don’t have to be any. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Cas’ chest stopped aching. Instead, it swelled with joy. Dean still liked him like that. Last night hadn’t just been a wishful dream. Dean was just trying to protect him. Dean always tried to protect him. But this time, he didn’t want to be protected.

“I appreciate what you’re trying to do for me. I do. But I would rather be able to express myself than keep it hidden. That would make it feel wrong. Like we’re hiding something. I’m done with keeping secrets, Dean. I really am.”

 


	3. Chapter 3

Castiel had never been so excited before in his whole life - including his thousands of years alive as an angel. Tonight was his and Dean’s first date. After he had made it clear that he didn’t want to keep their relationship a secret, Dean had been amazingly relaxed about it. They held hands in public, and kissed behind closed doors, because that was just the decent thing to do in Cas’ opinion. Although they had been ‘going out’, as the humans referred to it, for a while, Cas and Dean had never actually been on a proper date. Hunting always got in the way. But Sam had insisted that they take the night off and go to dinner and a movie. Their first real date.

As it neared seven, Cas started pacing around his room. He had been living in the bunker with the brothers for a while now and had his own room. It was small, but very neat, with a queen bed situated on the right wall, and a small dresser on the left. Cas had a bit of a obsessive compulsive disorder. He liked to maintain control of whatever parts of his crazy life he could. It wasn’t easy being a hunter. He began chewing his lower lip nervously. He was getting anxious about the date. He wanted it to go perfectly. He needed it to go perfectly.

At seven sharp, Dean poked his head into the entrance to Cas’ room.

“You ready to go, handsome?”

Cas stifled a grin as he looked Dean up and down. Dean was wearing a plaid shirt over a navy blue undershirt. His jeans were tight enough that Cas could see the shape of his ass when he turned around.

“Yes, I am.”

As Dean and Cas left the bunker, they could hear Sam telling them to have fun.

“Oh we will!” Dean shouted back over his shoulder.

When they got to the restaurant, Castiel immediately started perusing the menu, in search of a burger. One positive thing about being human was eating. Food just tasted so damn good. Especially burgers. Together, he and Dean ordered ten burgers. Five for each of them - and they would probably go for seconds. They ignored the strange look the waitress gave them when she saw them holding hands. This was their first date. It was going to go perfectly. No homophobic waitress could ruin that for them.

 After they had finished dinner and seen the movie, they got back into the Impala. Dean drove to an abandoned parking lot and turned the stereo on low. He and Cas climbed into the back seat. Dean gently pushed Cas down as he ran his hands through his beautiful hair.

Cas had only one thought in his head: Dean. Dean was everywhere. He moaned with pleasure against Dean’s soft lips as they roughly massaged his own. Dean’s leg was in between his, and he could feel his muscular thigh against his crotch. He never wanted this to stop. Dean removed himself from the kiss, causing Cas to let out a whining sound.

“I love you Castiel. I love you so fucking much.” His emerald green eyes glistened as they met Cas’ sapphire blue ones.

“And I love you, Dean. So very much.”

He shifted, so that he could see his hunter more clearly. Their eyes stayed locked as Dean slowly unzipped Cas’ jeans and removed his dick from his boxers. He bent down and sucked him off, with those heavenly pink lips of his. Cas came in Dean’s mouth, and he swallowed immediately.

Dean guided Cas’ body to the correct position and then he started fucking him. He started out slow and gentle, and then he became more rough. Cas’ moans came more often, and louder. The Impala’s windows were all steamed up by the time Dean came inside him. They drove back to the bunker and collapsed onto Cas’ bed. The next morning, Cas awoke before Dean. He traced his features with his eyes, once again dumbfounded that this perfect man loved him back.

 


	4. Chapter 4

Cas hummed to himself as he rolled out the pastry crust for his pie. He had taken up baking and he enjoyed it immensely. At first it was so that he could see Dean’s giant smile as he dug into a freshly baked pie. But then it became something more. He found that he loved the way he could create tasty things out of raw ingredients. It made him feel powerful again, like he was still an angel, and it gave him a sense of purpose. So did hunting, which he did often. Sam never failed to provide them with a steady stream of cases, and in the year since he had moved into the bunker, Cas had faced countless demons, ghosts, and other supernatural creatures. He had become a decent hunter, and a pretty good shot.

Now that all of the angels were back in heaven where they belonged, the boys all needed hobbies to occupy their time between cases. Cas thought back to two months ago, remembering the look on Metatron’s face as he removed his grace and cast him down, and later killed him. He had been an angel then - his grace had been restored to him so that he could go to heaven and rid it of Metatron. He was then faced with a choice: keep his grace and sort out heaven, or become human once more and put all the angel business behind him. He had, of course, chosen the human option. If Cas were to stay an angel, he would have no choice but to be cut off from the Winchesters. And he couldn’t bear the thought of not going to sleep beside Dean every night. Couldn’t bear the thought of not hearing Sam’s voice full of laughter every time he spoke. So he had asked Anna to remove his grace for the second time, and now he was just a regular human being.

“Cas, you got a second?” Sam’s voice floated across the bunker to the kitchen.

Cas put the pastry crust he had been working on into the fridge to firm up, and went to the living room.

“No. Time cannot be a possession. Oh, I see what you meant. Okay, yes. I do have a second. Ha ha.” Cas let out a chortle, proud of himself for recognizing a human expression.

“So Dean’s birthday is in a week, and I wanted to throw him a little something. I thought we could call Garth and have a barbecue. You could make a birthday cake and everything. What do you think?”

Cas smiled and immediately said he’d love to help out. It would be the first birthday that they all celebrated together.

Cas spent the rest of the week planning Dean’s party down to the tiniest detail. Sam had told him it was just a casual party, but Cas wanted it to be special. He had scoured cooking magazines until he found a tantalizing fudge brownie recipe that he was sure Dean would love. And of course, he couldn’t forget the pie. He had made dozens of pies, perfecting the recipe until the taste made his mouth explode. On January the 24th, Cas was up at five in the morning after sneaking out of his and Dean’s bedroom. He put the cake in to bake and started on the pies. He had asked Sam to go shopping the night before, while Dean had watched the latest episode of Dr. Sexy. Now he worked on filling the perfectly formed crusts with apples, blueberries, lemon meringue, chocolate, cherries, and banana custard. All Sam and Cas needed to do to keep the party a surprise was keep Dean out of the kitchen for the whole day. This was no easy task.

The barbecue was called for six. At exactly five minutes to six, Garth knocked on the bunker’s door and Cas let him in.

“I know I’m early, but I know how much Dean loves the Garthmaster. I figured I’d let him enjoy the pleasure of my company before we start eatin’.” Garth moved past Cas and noticed Dean watching TV.

“Dean, m’man! Happiest of birthdays to you! I got you a present and everything!” Garth presented a neatly wrapped box to Dean.

“Thanks, Garth,” Dean ripped the wrapping off eagerly. 

“... for the toothbrushes.”

“No problem! None at all.” Garth smiled widely. “You know, I was a dentist once. I know how important cleaning your teeth are! These toothbrushes are the best money can buy.”

Dean put the package on the coffee table, and turned to Sam.

“You didn’t happen to get me anything half normal, did you?” He asked, jokingly.

“Actually, I did.” Sam handed Dean a smallish package. Dean opened it to find a brand new MP3 player.

“For the Impala.” Sam said. “So you don’t run out of room in the glove box.”

Next it was Cas’ turn to give Dean a present. He had spent all week thinking about what to get Dean. He had finally decided on giving him the one thing that could possibly be precious enough to let Dean know how he felt. He had decided to give him the glass vial containing his grace. Dean already had his heart, so why not give him this as well? He didn’t want to give it to him in front of everyone - it felt like the sort of thing one should do in private. So he had purchased a nice hunting knife with a credit card Sam had given him. He presented this to Dean and watched as a grin split his boyfriend’s face. Boyfriend. Cas still had to get used to using that word, even in his head. Dean was his boyfriend.

 


	5. Chapter 5

The barbecue was a huge success. Sam had found a lake near the bunker and they had all stripped down to their boxers and went swimming. Cas and Dean had shared an underwater kiss and had risen to claps and hoots from Sam and hastily concealed surprise from Garth.

"Go get 'em tiger." Sam joked.

Garth had pulled Cas and Dean aside after they were done swimming and told them how truly happy he was for them that they had found each other. Cas' smile never left his face that whole day. Everyone had salivated over the massive array of baked goods Cas had made for the party, and Dean had praised his incredible skills through mouthfuls of pie and cake. It had been an amazing day, but Cas was going to make sure that the night was even more memorable

While Dean took a quick shower, Cas removed the glass vial containing his grace from the safe on the top shelf of their closet. He carefully tied a string around the rim, and put it around his neck. He took off all of his clothing, leaving only his boxers. Then he plopped onto their bed and twisted his body until he was posing like one of the girls on the cover of those magazines Dean used to read before he was with Cas. Dean walked into their room and his mouth immediately dropped open, causing Cas to smile.

"I didn't think it was appropriate to give you your real present in front of the others. I hope you don't mind." Dean struggled to speak clearly.

"N-not at all," he finally managed.

Cas took his grace from around his neck and held it out to Dean.

"I want you to have it," he said.

Dean was once again at a loss for words. After a moment of silence, he shook his head.

“I can’t take this, Cas. What if I lose it? Why trust something this important to me? I appreciate the thought. I really do. But I can’t.”

“You listen to me, and you listen to me now, Dean. You already have my heart. Well - not literally - but you know what I mean. Anyways. I have already entrusted you with the most important thing I have. Why not give you the second most important thing as well?”

Cas stared steadily into Dean’s gorgeous eyes. He could see the beginnings of tears. He stretched his hand out towards Dean, his grace resting on his open palm.

Dean took Cas' grace and carefully put it around his own neck.

"I will keep it safe until the day I die," he said at last.

Cas pulled him onto the bed and kissed him roughly. Usually Dean was the more aggressive one in their relationship, but Cas had been studying Dean's actions as of late to learn how to be rough with him for his birthday. He knew Dean would love it. He pushed Dean down and positioned himself on top of him. He nudged Dean's legs apart and placed his own between them. Dean's hard cock felt amazing through his boxers. Cas ran his fingers through Dean's freshly washed hair. It felt glorious on his fingertips.

He took off Dean's boxers slowly, and sensually. He put his lips around Dean's huge cock and blew him until cum filled his mouth. After swallowing, he started kissing Dean hungrily.

"I've never seen this side of you before, Cas," Dean murmured between kisses."I like it."

They kissed for what felt like eternity. Dean's warm tongue continually darted into Cas' mouth. His lips were like oxygen - Cas needed them to live. He lay down and waited for Dean to enter him. With every thrust Cas fell more and more in love with his hunter. When Dean finished inside of him and finally removed his cock, a hollow feeling swept through Cas.

"I love you so much, Dean Winchester," he whispered as he drifted off to sleep.

"And I love you, Castiel."


	6. Chapter 6

Life with the Winchesters was amazing. Cas knew he had made the right decision in staying human every time he looked at Dean’s beautiful face. He had never known how much love his heart could contain.

One day in late July, he went to the supermarket. He had learned how to properly shop for items the boys needed under Sam's patient guidance.In three days time it would be exactly two years since he had moved into the bunker, and he was planning on making some pie to celebrate.

He was in the baking aisle when it happened. It started out as nothing. Just some tiny black spots all around the room. Cas was sure it was just a regular human reaction to something or other. But then the black spots grew larger and larger, until everything was turning black. Before he could call out for help, he collapsed. He felt the side of his face collide with the hard gray floor of the store, and tried to get up, but couldn't. Sounds floated into his head. They got louder and louder until they hurt. He could make out a man's voice through the chaos.

"Everybody, out of the way. I am a trained medic. I know what I'm doing. You - call an ambulance now. I need to make sure he's alright." 

The voice started slowly slipping away, along with everything else.

"Sir, can you hear me? Sir, if you can hear me squeeze my hand. It's very important that you squeeze my hand if you can hear me, ok?"

A man's calloused hand slipped into his own. Cas tried to squeeze it, but he was too weak. Everything was going away, away, away. He couldn't hear anything except for the deafening sound of his own heart, beating rapidly in his chest. Everything stopped, and then he heard a different voice. It sounded like Dean.

“Cas! Cas, can you hear me? We’re gonna get you better. Don’t you slip away from me now! Stay strong, you hear me? Just stay strong. For me, Cas. Stay strong for me.”

His eyelids fluttered open for the briefest of moments and he was taken aback by what he saw. Dean’s perfect face was less than two inches from his own, and it was all bloody. The source of the blood seemed to be two giant gashes running down the hunter’s right cheek.

Cas felt his eyes closing again and silently apologized to Dean. He wondered momentarily where he was before he drifted off again.

 When he awoke for the second time, his eyes managed to stay open for longer than a second. He saw Dean sitting in an uncomfortable looking chair next to the bed that he was apparently lying on. His eyes darted around the room and he came to the conclusion that he was in a hospital; he recognized it from the last time he had been in one. He seemed to be in the emergency room. There was a thin papery curtain separating him and Dean from the rest of the ward. 

When he tried to sit up, Dean looked at him with alarm and gently pushed him back down. 

“Sorry. The doctor said to make sure you don’t accidentally rip the wire out. You need those fluids to help you get better or some shit.”

Cas looked down and noticed a wire attached to his arm, ending in a needle just under his elbow crease. The wire was attached to a plastic bag filled with clear fluid on a stand beside the bed. 

“They said you passed out from dehydration.”

“Dean,” Cas tried to speak. It came out as a hoarse whisper. His throat felt rough and dry.

“Oh, right. Here. Have some Gatorade. You’ll feel better. It has that electro-crap that’s good for you.”

Dean handed him a paper cup filled with red liquid. 

When Dean saw that Cas was fine, his voice filled with anger.

“How the fuck did you pass out from dehydration? Did you forget how to drink or something?”

Cas thought back to the morning. He was pretty sure he had remembered to take a water bottle with him on the long walk to the supermarket. He still hadn’t quite figured out how to properly drive a car, so he walked everywhere unless Sam or Dean could give him a ride. But he liked taking long walks by himself. It gave him time to admire nature.

“I guess I didn’t account for the high temperature. It won’t happen again.”

Once Dean was appeased, Cas remembered the gashes.

"Your cheek. What happened?”

Dean looked confused and touched both of his cheeks.

“What are you talking about?” he asked.

“The gashes...” Cas trailed off as he noticed that Dean’s right cheek was perfectly fine.

“What gashes, Cas? What do you mean?”

Cas was dumbfounded. He remembered very clearly the long, deep scratches that had adorned Dean’s face the last time he had seen them.

“They’re gone. How long was I unconscious?” Had he been asleep long enough for the cuts to completely disappear?

“Over an hour. Sam was here for a half hour, but then he suddenly had to go take a walk. I think he was attempting subtlety and wanted to give us some time alone when you woke up.”

Good old Sam. Cas appreciated it.

Just then, a doctor walked into the tiny area cordoned off by the curtain. He was a kind looking man in his forties whose name tag read “Dr. Solomon, MD”.

“Hello, Mr. Johnson! Nurse Rogers tells me you passed out from dehydration. How’re you feeling?” Dr. Solomon had a soothing voice.

Their latest batch of fake IDs had Cas using the name Nolan Johnson. Dean was Jimmy Rhodes (he was a big fan of Iron Man), and Sam was Roland Smith. Luckily, Nolan Johnson had a great - albeit forged - health insurance policy.

“Dr. Solomon, right? Ok, what’s the deal with him? He’s been going on about some gashes on my face that don’t exist. I think I would notice damage on this beauty.” Dean puckered his lips, making Cas smile.

“Oh, that’s perfectly normal, I wouldn’t worry at all! Its quite common for a person to experience hallucinations before passing out due to dehydration.”

Hallucinations. Cas wasn’t going crazy. He had just been hallucinating due to lack of hydration. Dean was fine. He was fine. He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.


	7. Chapter 7

Cas glanced up and down the quiet street. He was on lookout duty while Sam and Dean stole some files from the sheriff's office. They were working a case that involved the angry ghost of a dead millionaire. Robert Radley had been extremely rich before he died, and his whole fortune went to his son, Norton. But two days ago, Norton Radley had been mysteriously strangled to death inside his locked bathroom. The housekeeper swore that no one except for Norton's wife, Linda, had been in the house at the time, and she had been sleeping. Sam had dug up enough information to put the pieces together: Norton had poisoned his father for his money, and now his angry spirit was out for revenge.

"Got 'em," huffed Dean, emerging from the building. 

He got into the Impala, followed by Sam and Cas. Sam opened the first file and started reading aloud.

"Coroner's report matches up with the housekeeper's story. Cause of death was asphyxiation. I spoke to Linda and told her to stay at a friend's house for the night. We need to figure out where Robert is buried and burn the bones before he can continue his little killing spree." 

When they got back to their motel room, Sam opened his laptop and began looking up obituaries to find the grave site.

"We need food," grumbled Dean. "I'm starving."

"There's some Fiber One in my bag," Sam said, without looking up from his laptop.

"I want _food_ , Sam. Not your gerbil crap. I'm gonna go to the gas station and see if they've got anything good. Cas, you coming?"

"Yes," Cas answered, already halfway finished putting on his trench coat. He was quite attached to it at this point. He got into the passenger seat as Dean warmed up his baby.

"There's a station four or five miles from here. They should have a deli, and more importantly, pie."

"Pie is always good," remarked Cas.

They never made it to the gas station.

Dean spotted an empty parking lot halfway there and looked at Cas invitingly. Cas smiled and nodded. When the Impala was in park, they moved to the back seat. Their limbs tangled as they kissed each other feverishly. Dean's fingers left trails of fire in their wake as he moved them up and down Cas' back. Cas was hyper aware of every place their bodies touched.

"Cas..." Dean moaned. Cas loved the way his name became so much more beautiful on the lips of his hunter. They made love, and by the time they were done, the Impala's back windows were all steamed up.

They hastily got dressed and drove back to the motel. Sam took one look at Cas' mussed up hair and the gleam in Dean's eyes and grinned.

"How was the food?" he asked sarcastically.

"Fucking amazing," Dean smirked.

Cas was once again struck by how lucky he and Dean were that Sam was so okay with their relationship. It made life much easier.

The next morning, the boys set off at dawn. The day was uneventful at first. They burned Robert's bones - Sam had finally pinpointed their location before they left - and let Linda know it was okay to go home and that everything was fine. They were on the highway when Dean saw a sign announcing a Biggerson's off the next exit and suggested they go for lunch.

"I'm fucking starving," were his exact words. 

Five minutes later, Cas was holding the door to the restaurant open for the brothers. They were seated after a couple of minutes of waiting, and Dean immediately snatched a menu and started reading it.

"That bacon cheeseburger is calling my name," he mumbled.

Cas looked at his options and decided on a burger as well. Their waiter arrived and Sam ordered a Caesar salad.

"Health freak," said Dean.

"Its not my fault I actually take care of my body," answered Sam.

"A bacon cheese burger takes care of _my_ body," said Dean, licking his lips.

"Yeah, okay. Sure," smirked Sam. 

"Bitch,"

"Jerk,"

When their food still hadn't come after fifteen minutes of waiting, Dean began getting restless. After twenty minutes, he started getting up, presumably to go yell at their poor waiter who had no control of when the food was ready. Cas stood up and offered to _civilly_ discover what was taking so long. He looked around and spotted a man with his back toward him whose red shirt said MANAGER in white letters. He walked forward and tapped the man on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, sir, we've been waiting for our food for quite some time now and -"

He stopped speaking abruptly as the manager turned around, because he suddenly couldn't form words. He was paralyzed by a pair of impossible golden eyes the color of honey. They were impossible because their owner had died years ago. After a full minute of gawking, Cas found his voice.

"Gabriel?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are enjoying this fic please leave kudos or a comment because it makes me happy and motivates me to continue the story :D


	8. Chapter 8

A giant smile lit up Gabriel's face.

"Hey bro!" he said, dragging out the syllables.

"How? How are you alive? You died. Lucifer killed you." Cas was in shock.

"Well if you must know, the me that died wasn't the real me. God, I've used that trick so many times I've lost count. Works like a charm every time." Gabriel rolled his head around and chuckled.

"If you weren't dead, where have you been? Why didn't you tell me. I mourned you, Gabriel. For months. Years, even. You were my brother. Why hide yourself from me?" 

"I wasn't hiding from _you_. More like Metatron. He's evil, you know."

"I think I would know that seeing as he _ripped out my grace_ after making me commit horrible crimes and cast all of my brothers and sisters out of heaven." Cas hissed angrily.  

"Well that does explain why you're not an angel anymore. I was wondering." 

Just then, Dean walked up behind Gabriel, presumably to see what was taking Cas so long. 

"Hey Mr. Manager!" he said loudly. Gabriel turned around and a look of disbelief flash across Dean's face. 

"You're dead! I saw you die." he exclaimed. 

Gabriel sighed. "Not this again. Castiel, you explain it this time. I'm not in the mood." 

Cas quickly told Dean the story Gabriel had told him, all the while keeping his eyes on his brother's face. as if scared that if he looked away Gabriel would disappear.  

Dean dragged Gabriel to their booth and made him sit down. After relaying the story to Sam, he was silent. 

"Awkward silence," said Gabriel, interrupting the awkward silence that had ensued. 

"I'm sorry. I'm just trying to figure out why in hell's name you didn't warn us about Metatron," snarled Dean. "You know, _before_ he cast all the angels down from heaven." 

"I'm sorry, boys. I truly am. But if I had contacted you, he would have killed me. For real this time. That dude is powerful." 

"He's right," said Sam. "He was just protecting himself, as usual. But what I don't understand is why you didn't tell us you were alive after we killed him years ago." 

"I'm sorry, did I offend your precious feelings?" answered Gabriel. "I didn't think you would care, to be honest." 

"I'm your _brother_ , Gabriel. Of course I would care." said Cas. 

"I thought you were still in heaven! How was I supposed to know?" Gabriel said defensively. 

"So you're still an angel?" interrupted Dean. 

"Du-uuhh," drawled Gabriel. 

"How did you manage that? All the angels are in heaven with the gates locked," said Sam. 

"Uh uh uh," Gabriel wagged his finger. "Can't be giving all my secrets away now can I? I've already told you more than you need to know."  

He waved his hand at the table and a giant platter full of bacon cheeseburgers appeared, along with a solitary salad. 

"I apologize for the absence of your food. I trust this will make up for it. On the house!" Gabriel chuckled as he stood up. 

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" Dean grabbed his shirtsleeve. 

"I _am_ the manager, Dean. I'm on duty. Tell you what, how about I meet you boys later? I'll be in your room at six. Be there or be square." 

They ate in silence and when they were done they all quickly glanced around for Gabriel, but he was nowhere to be found. 

Six o'clock rolled around. Sam was on his laptop as usual, and Dean was making Cas watch an episode of Dr. Sexy, MD with him. When it was half past six and Gabriel hadn't shown, Dean mumbled something about angels always being unreliable. Exactly one minute before the clock on the wall read seven, they all heard a whooshing sound. Gabriel had appeared lying down on their sofa.  

"Boys. Castiel," he said, a giant grin pasted in place. "What can I do for you?" 

"How about you tell us why you're working at Biggerson's?" said Sam. 

"Why not?" smirked Gabriel. "I don't want to talk about boring old me. What are you guys up to?" 

Dean filled Gabriel in on how they had restored heaven, killed Metatron, and gone back to regular old hunting.  

"So what now?" Dean said when he finished. "You gonna go back to working at that place?" 

"Naaaah," said Gabriel. "It was getting boring. Great food though. Hey, I know! Why don't I tag along with you guys?" 

"And do what, exactly?" asked Dean. 

"I could help you hunt! Honestly, I'm getting lonely all by myself." Gabriel turned towards Dean, widening his eyes so they looked like puppy-dog eyes. 

"You want to become a hunter?"  asked Cas. 

"Why not, bro? It'd be fun! We could have some quality bonding time." 

Well, we _do_ have an angel vacancy, what with Cas being human and all." said Dean. "What do you think, Sam? Cas?" 

"I don't see why not," said Sam. 

"I would like it if he stayed," Cas agreed. 

And that decided it. Gabriel transported them all to the bunker - including the Impala - and whooshed a room into existence for himself. And suddenly he was living with them. When he inevitably found out about Dean and Cas' relationship, he laughed and patted them both on the back. 

"Good for you guys. Good for you. My little brother is finally growing up." 

Gabriel had changed from when the brothers knew him. He was kinder, more helpful. Maybe it had been the belief that he would never see anybody he knew ever again. Maybe it had just been years of loneliness. He came to the boy's aid multiple times, and his angelic abilities were extremely handy in any situation. He seamlessly fit into their lives, and Cas couldn't remember what life had been like before they had discovered he was alive. He couldn't be happier. He had Sam as his friend, he had his brother back from the dead, and most importantly, he had Dean.


	9. Chapter 9

“Hello, Gabriel,” Cas greeted his brother as he walked into the kitchen.

“Hey, Castiel. Watcha doin’?”

“Baking. I just found this great recipe for cheesecake. Here, taste it for me?”

Gabriel took the spoon from Cas’ outstretched hand.

“Mmmm. Superb cheesecake, I must say!”

“Gabriel. You would be honest with me right?” inquired Cas, fiddling with a whisk.

“Uhh. I guess so. What’s the dealio?”

“It’s just.” Cas hesitated. He couldn’t believe he was saying this out loud. “I mean. This is hard for me to even ask, but I really don’t know what to think.”

“Spit it out brotha,” said Gabe.

“Have you noticed how Dean’s been sneaking off lately? I go to sleep and when I wake up sometimes he’s not there. In middle of the day I can hear him taking off in his car sometimes without telling anyone where he’s going. I’m getting worried he’s hiding something big from me. I’ve asked him about it and he keeps evading the question and saying its important but it doesn’t involve me. I’m really starting to wonder what it is now - why are you laughing, Gabriel? Is something funny?”

Gabriel’s head was tilted back as he laughed.

“Trust me, Castiel, you’ve got nothing to worry about.”

“So you know what’s going on?” asked Cas. “Do you mind telling me?”

“I can’t,” said Gabe. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”

Dean came into the kitchen just then. 

“Do I smell... cheesecake?” His face lit up as he spotted the pan. He took a knife and cut himself a giant slice.

“Mmmff. Cas this is some good stuff. Almost as good as your pie.” He turned around and gave Cas a quick peck on the lips, his mouth still stuffed with cheesecake.

“Thank you, Dean,” said Cas, a smile beginning to form on his lips. 

“So. You ready for date night?”

Gabriel had suggested that Dean and Cas take one night a week and go out together on a date. He insisted that it would help keep their relationship fun and strong. Cas had starting suspecting that his brother had ulterior motives after a while. He noticed the quick smiles exchanged by Gabriel and Sam when they thought he and Dean weren’t watching. Maybe they weren’t the only ones who had a date every Thursday night. Two angels (well one angel and one fallen angel) and their hunters. Cas smiled at the thought and knew that Gabriel and Sam would tell them when they were ready.

\---

It was Cas’ turn to pick the restaurant. They switched off every week. He had selected a nice Italian place. When they were seated and had ordered their food, Cas looked at Dean.

“Dean - “ he stopped himself. Was he really about to ask Dean where he had been like one of those clingy characters on that doctor show? He trusted Dean explicitly. Dean would never do anything to hurt him.

“Huh?” asked Dean distractedly. He was looking around for their food.

“Never mind,” said Cas. If Gabriel had said he had nothing to worry about, then he wasn’t about to start interrogating his boyfriend.

“Is that Sam?” Dean interrupted his thoughts. “... and _Gabe_? What the hell are they doing here?”

Cas twisted his body around and saw that it was indeed their brothers walking into the restaurant. Dean got up and and went to speak to them, motioning to Cas to join him. A waiter started leading them to a table for four.

“Guess we’re having a double date,” Dean smirked, patting Sam on the back. “You coulda told me Sammy. Finally getting some ass, huh?”

“Believe it or not, Gabe was the shy one here.” said Sam, putting his arm around the angel.

“Guilty as charged. I didn’t want to make you guys feel like we were trying to steal your spotlight or anything. I don’t know man. It’s not every day you meet bisexual angels and hunters hitting it off.”

Cas grinned as his suspicions were confirmed. What were the chances of all of them being in happy relationships with someone they were living with? If his Father was back in heaven, he was really working hard to make up for all the bad He had done to the Winchesters and the angels.


End file.
